Estela Navarro Cortez

Owner of Joey’s Bakery

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Estela Navarro Cortez was born in Jocotepec, Jalisco, Mexico and first came to the United States at the age of five. Later, in 2003, Navarro moved to Napa and opened Joey’s Bakery with her husband Salvador Cortez, who is also a baker, one year later. An expert baker and determined entrepreneur, Navarro and her bakery were destined for success. The bakery was named after their then 3-year-old son Joey, who looked adorable decked out in a little apron when the bakery first opened, recalls his sister, Yesenia. Joey grew up in the bakery and at almost fifteen is now part of its staff.

Stepping inside the Jefferson Street bakery, painted in sunny shades of yellow and orange, the warm, sweet smell wafts in from the ovens, like a special olfactory sample of Joey’s Bakery’s fresh Mexican breads and pastries. Despite the wide array of baked goods offered, Navarro is steadfast in her commitment to upholding high standards of tradition and quality. In fact, one of the more significant challenges Navarro faced as a business owner was finding staff who fit her criteria: experienced bakers who knew the secrets of creating truly authentic Mexican breads and pastries. Otherwise, Navarro says business has been “smooth,” which should be expected considering Navarro’s level of dedication and investment in the bakery, which can be best exemplified by a special piece of advice she had been given. “A business is like a baby, guard it with all your heart,” she advises. “You are responsible to make it grow.” Navarro has been fortunate enough to have received the support of her family throughout her journey as a business owner. “Most of the family works in this small business,” Navarro explains. Along with her husband, her son Joey, and her oldest daughters, Yadira and Yesenia, all helped with the family business. Even 5-year-old Daniela, featured in this photo with her mother, pitches in, cleaning the tongs and the platters customers use to select their baked goods. She has grown up in the bakery too.

More than ten years later, business is still booming and continuing to expand. What is the key to Navarro’s success, one might ask? “Hard work,” she answers, “The harder you work, the more successful you’ll be.” For aspiring business owners, Navarro finds it crucial to educate oneself about every detail of the industry one plans to enter. Try one bite of the bakery’s tres leches cake, and you’ll know that’s exactly what Navarro did.